This publication presents information about people aged 15 years and over who are not in the labour force: that is, neither employed nor unemployed. The data measure the potential supply of labour not reflected in employment and unemployment statistics, and measure the characteristics of that potential supply.

Statistics in this publication were obtained from the Persons Not in the Labour Force Survey, conducted throughout Australia in September 2010 as a supplement to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS).

Information collected in the survey includes details about whether people not in the labour force wanted to work, reasons why they were not actively looking for work, or were not available for work, and their main activity while not in the labour force.

Many people not in the labour force could be considered to have some attachment to the labour force. For example, they may want a job, but for a variety of reasons are not actively looking for work even though they are available to start a job. There is an expectation that many of these people could move into the labour force in the short term, or could do so if labour market conditions changed.

ROUNDING

As estimates have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Labour Market Statistics Section on Canberra (02) 6252 7206, <labour.statistics@abs.gov.au>.